


To Love One Who Knows You By Name

by Burning_Nightingale



Series: To Love You [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 14:58:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8990401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burning_Nightingale/pseuds/Burning_Nightingale
Summary: Sometimes Ikora wished she could find certain mysterious, unknown beings just so she could take them to task for making her life harder.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [illumynare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/illumynare/gifts).



> Sorry this isn't 100% polished, but I had a lot of fun writing for this fandom! Happy Yuletide!
> 
> Edit Jan 2018: I finally came up with a better title! And also one which will fit with the planned companion piece ;)

The secrets that lay beyond the edges of her knowledge, out there in the wide universe, were on Ikora’s mind every day. Mostly she pursued them for the joy of discovery, the thrill of new knowledge; but sometimes she wished she could find certain mysterious, unknown beings just so she could take them to task for making her life harder.

“No more,” she told the sullen group of warlocks in front of her. “The Ahamkara were hunted for a reason. Wearing this armour is irresponsible and dangerous. You understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they all chorused, some with more good grace than others.

“Alright.” She waved a hand. “You can go now. If you need anything from armour requisition, let me know.”

The group dispersed, muttering among themselves. Ikora was sure she heard someone say, ‘paid good strange coins for that armour’, but she let it slide.

“That thing,” she announced when they were gone, “is a menace.”

“I veto running him out of the Tower,” Cayde said immediately, without even looking up from the sniper rifle he was cleaning.

Ikora gave him an exasperated look. “I wasn’t going to suggest it.”

“Good. Don’t wanna be messing with the Nine. Or their representative.” Cayde added more polish to his rag.

“I’m sure Ikora understands that better than any of us,” Zavala murmured distractedly.

“Still, his habit of selling banned items is becoming a problem,” Ikora said. “Maybe one of us should speak to him when he next appears.”

“Pretty sure he doesn’t have a lot of choice in the matter,” Cayde said. “He sells what his masters tell him to sell. Now, if you wanna give _them_ a stern talking to, I’ll come watch. From a good distance away.”

“If I could find them, maybe I would,” Ikora sighed.

“That I can believe.” Cayde rubbed a thumb over the rifle’s metal, inspecting the dark green paint job. “This look alright to you?”

Ikora cast her eye over it. “It looks beautiful. Is that what Banshee’s been working on these past two weeks?”

“Sure is. Balance is like nothing I’ve ever felt.” Cayde hefted it up into his arms and sighted down its length. “Bee-u-ti-ful.”

“A nice addition to the collection,” Zavala said, sparing a moment to look up from his mission reports.

“Mmm. Right.” Cayde used his awkward ‘I’m-hiding-something’ voice, but Ikora didn’t have the energy to press him on it. She’d probably find out soon enough, anyway.

A warlock entered her field of vision, her expression a reserved type of nervous. Ikora waved her forward. “What is it?”

“The liaison from the Owl Sector sent a message. He’d like to talk to you.”

Ikora rolled her eyes as she heard Cayde snigger quietly. “Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

/

“Ikora.” Shun greeted her with a polite nod. “I’m afraid I have bad news.”

“I did assume.” She took a seat at the table that sat in the centre of the observatory. “What is it that troubles you?”

Shun sat down slowly opposite her. “One of my researchers appears to have gone AWOL,” he said. “A young woman by the name of Emilia Valdes.”

“When did you notice her missing?” Ikora asked.

“This morning.” Shun picked up a piece of paper and passed it across the table to her. “She left this behind.”

Ikora scanned the scrawl of handwriting.

_Everyone,_

_I’m sorry for leaving without asking and not telling anyone where I was going, but I know I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the Tower and what I’ve found is too important to miss. I’ll be careful, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Hopefully what I find will be enough for you to forgive my disobedience._

_Emilia_

“She’s left the City,” Ikora said, surprised.

“Apparently. Before you ask, no, I don’t know how she did it. All I know is that she left as usual yesterday evening, but her family told us she never came home.”

“Any idea what she’s found?”

“That’s what truly worries me,” Shun said, “She was interested in the way extra-solar entities manifest in our solar system. That can be dangerous research, as I’m sure you know. I told her it was too dangerous to seek out artifacts, but she was always eager to see how things worked in practise, not just in theory.”

They were quiet for a few moments, Ikora frowning down at the table. “Did she have a desk? An office? Maybe a journal of some kind?”

Shun nodded. “She shared a small office on the lower level. All her notes are there, but she wrote them in code.”

“A secretive soul. Sounds familiar.”

Shun gave her a look, but didn’t comment. “One of my codebreakers has been working on cracking them. Until then, I was wondering if you could ask around with the Wall Guard and the hangar bay staff. Try and work out how she managed to leave the City.”

Ikora smiled slightly. “Trust me, when the Titans hear a civilian has managed to sneak out? There’ll be a witch hunt.”

/

Zavala came back to her later in the day with an update.

“You can’t imagine the trouble this has stirred up among the Wall Guard,” he grumbled.

“I had thought it most likely that she left the City in a ship, not through the Wall,” Ikora said.

“That’s what seems to have happened. But even the _idea_ that a civilian could’ve slipped past them caused…problems,” Zavala said darkly. “Anyway. It appears Emilia was friendly with a Guardian called Yahir. Hangar bay records indicate his ship left the City yesterday afternoon, headed in the direction of the Wilds beyond the Cosmodrome. It seems likely that he agreed to take Emilia with him.”

“Of course he did,” Ikora said. Sometimes it seemed Hunters couldn’t keep themselves out of trouble for five minutes. “I’ll tell Shun. Hopefully his people have made some progress cracking her notes.”

“The Owl Sector codes their research material?” Zavala asked, sounding very puzzled.

“I’m given to believe most of them do. Half the Warlocks do so as well.” Ikora smiled. “We’re very protective of our insights.”

Zavala just rolled his eyes.

Shun answered promptly when she placed a call to the Observatory. “Cracked it. We’re going through it as we speak.” There was a moment of silence, then quiet voices as Shun spoke to someone else in the room with him. Then his voice came back; “Her latest pages indicate an interest in Ahamkara.”

 _More Ahamkara. The cursed beasts have been dead for years, and yet they still plague us_. “I see. Any indication of what she hoped to find in the Wilds?”

“More like someone she hoped to meet. An exiled Guardian, by the sounds of it, someone who could tell her more about Ahamkara lore. There’s no name, only an area where the exile is rumoured to live, somewhere out on the steppe.”

Ikora sighed. “I just hope Yahir accompanied her out there.”

There was an uneasy pause, then Shun said slowly, “Some of the others are…very adamant that we go after them.”

“No,” Ikora said instantly, then, more gently, “Yahir is an experienced Guardian, and I can’t imagine he’d leave her there alone. And she’s had Owl Sector training.”

“While I’m glad you seem to think highly of our training, nevertheless people here are afraid. Emilia has a brilliant mind, but an inexperienced trigger finger.”

Ikora paused, thinking. There was no doubt she could find Guardians willing to go and search the area; but she hesitated. “Shun, I need to know more about this exile before I send anyone after them. Guardians are only exiled for good reason, and they can be incredibly dangerous.”

“I understand.” Shun sighed heavily. “I can hold the Owl Sector in check for a while, probably long enough for you to go over your records.”

“Thank you. I’ll see if I can find out who this exile is; then we can assess the risks of sending out an expedition.”

“Good.” Shun paused as if he were going to say something else, but he didn’t. “I’d best go tell the others you’re working on it. Call me as soon as you have any news.”

“I will,” she promised.

/

It had been dark for several hours when she finally managed to make it back to the Vanguard’s Hall from the Archives. According to the computer, there were two or three exile Guardians living on the steppe, but no exile on record was noted for having expertise with Ahamkara lore. It had been a frustrating exercise.

Cayde sidled up to her as she checked the messages that had been left on her desk. “Heard about the Owl Sector problem,” he said, studied nonchalance slipping into rare seriousness. “Think I might be able to help out.”

She tilted her head inquisitively. “Oh?”

“You’re in luck. A friend of mine’s come back into town, and I figure she might know something about that exile you’ve been searching for.”

Ikora didn’t ask how Cayde knew what she’d been researching; she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “A friend? Who is this?”

“Y’know. A friend,” Cayde said evasively.

Ikora levelled her most disapproving look at him. “Cayde.”

“Just an old friend.” Cayde grinned, backing away from her slowly. “Just meet us at the railing on the Tower Walk in ten, okay?”

Ikora sighed.

Ten minutes later found her striding across the open plaza of the Tower Walk, towards the swathe of night’s sky and mountains revealed by the break in the Tower’s walls. The plaza was dark and deserted, closed off from anyone but the highest-ranking Guardians for now. A good place to hold a meeting you didn’t want overheard.

There was no one by the railing when Ikora reached it, so she leant up against it and looked out over the landscape. The night’s sky glittered with a thousand stars, the Milky Way clear overhead; as she watched lights darted across the black, distant ships flying far overhead. The landscape was dark, visible only as faint shadows and impressions of the shape of mountains.

“A nice night for stargazing,” someone said behind her.

Ikora turned. A figure was walking up behind her, the light from the Tower throwing her into silhouette. “Lovely,” Ikora agreed, “I presume you’re Cayde’s guest?”

“Yes. I’m surprised- but then, it is dark, and it has been a long time since we last met.”

The woman came to stand at the railing, turning so some of the light from behind them fell onto her face. She was Awoken, with pale purple hair and skin, her eyes glowing a piercing green. It only took Ikora a moment to place her. “Ysala,” she said.

Ysala nodded. “It has been a long time.”

Now Ikora could see why Cayde had been so cagey. Ysala wasn’t an exile, but for years she hadn’t been popular with the Vanguard. She was too secretive about where she went and the things she found when she was away from the City, too willing to meet and trade with Guardian exiles, and she had purportedly been in contact with the Awoken Queen years before the Vanguard had established friendly relations. It was rumoured that Ysala had only escaped exile thanks to her lifelong friendship with Andal Brask, the previous Hunter Vanguard.

She hadn’t been seen at the Tower for years. Ikora burned with sudden, intense curiosity, and had to hold herself back from asking where she’d been, and why she’d come back. “You look well,” she said instead. “Less muddy than someone who’s been travelling so long.”

“I looked worse a week ago, I assure you. I visited the Iron Temple before I arrived. Efrideet and Saladin only accept the best, be it Guardians or gear.” Ysala laughed. “I’m lucky I still remember all my old Crucible tricks. There’s no way that woman would accept a bribe; straight as a needle, that one.”

Ikora eyed the blazon of the Iron Lords engraved on Ysala’s chest piece. “She has been known to crack heads when people attempt to bribe her.”

That made Ysala laugh more, a bright, vibrant sound in the quiet space. Then she glanced to her left and grinned. “Ah, here he comes. Late as ever.”

“Forgive me, ladies, I was just clearing up a little something with the quartermaster.” Cayde strode over, looking happier than usual. “I see you two have met.”

“Several times,” Ysala said. “Now. You said you needed my help.”

“Ikora’s lost one of her Owl Sector kids,” Cayde said. “The girl’s super-secret encoded notebook said she’s gone looking for some exile who’s an expert on Ahamkara.”

“I can’t find any mention of someone like that in the Tower’s records,” Ikora added.

“See, the records only have information about Guardians who were _officially_ kicked out of the Tower, and not even all of _those_ incidents were recorded. There’s still a lot of Guardians out there who never joined the Tower in the first place.” Ysala frowned, thinking. “I reckon I know the person you’re talking about. On the Central Asian steppe?” Ikora nodded. “Skiska. Knows more about Ahamkara than anyone I’ve ever encountered. Only problem is, her little hidey-hole is filled with the bones of those things. Woman _sleeps_ with them, all piled up around her. She’s gone completely off the deep end.” Ysala frowned. “I hope your Owl Sector girl brought back up.”

“We think there’s a Guardian with her,” Ikora said. There was an uneasy feeling in her stomach; she didn’t like the worry in Ysala’s frown.

“Might be worth sending someone after them?” Cayde asked, looking between the two of them.

“I’ll see who I can round up,” Ikora said.

“No need. I can go,” Ysala said. “No, in fact, I’d prefer it. Best not to have anyone else tempted to seek Skiska out.”

That Ikora could agree on. “You’ll be alright alone?” she asked. There was no question that Ysala would be perfectly fine, but it felt polite to ask.

“I’ve got this one.” Ysala grinned. “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to try out my new toy.” In response to Ikora’s questioning eyebrow, Ysala unslung the long gun on her back and held it up for Ikora’s inspection.

It was, Ikora recognised instantly, the sniper rifle Cayde had been so lovingly cleaning earlier. “Now I see why he was being so evasive about it,” she said, amused.

“He has trouble admitting he cares,” Ysala laughed, while Cayde grumbled under his breath.

 _And now I think I know why Banshee spent so much time on it_ , Ikora thought to herself.

“I’ll let the Owl Sector know it’s being taken care of,” she said, “Try and send me an update, will you?”

Ysala grinned at her wolfishly, her teeth very white in the darkness. “I think I can toe the line just this once.”

/

“They aren’t too happy about being kept back,” Shun said the next morning, after she’d told him the Owl Sector were to stay in the City.

“There aren’t many Guardians more experienced than the woman I’ve sent after Emilia,” Ikora said. “She’s in safe hands.”

“You still haven’t told me anything about her,” Shun said. He sounded irritated. “This mystery Guardian.”

“She doesn’t come to the Tower much. You wouldn’t know her.”

“If she’s one of your spies, I won’t say another word.”

“Not really.” Ikora smiled to herself. “More like one of Cayde’s spies, really.”

“Hmm.” Shun didn’t sound impressed. “I suppose I’ll wait for your word.”

After she rang off, Ikora set herself to the tasks of the day, trying not to wonder when a report would come in from Ysala. _If_ it did. Hunters were notorious for not following protocol.

As she was leaving for the evening, her small datapad pinged. A short, terse message from Ysala stated, _Found the Guardian’s ship. No sign of either of them. On my way to Skiska now_.

 _At least she’s keeping her word_ , Ikora thought, and forwarded the message to Shun.

Another message was waiting for her when she woke up. _Made it to Skiska’s cave. Nutty as usual. No useful info there. No sign of Guardian or Owl. Will sweep the area._

Shun didn’t reply when she forwarded the message to him.

By the end of the day, no new message had come in from Ysala, and Ikora was forcing herself not to worry.

The next day, just around noon, her datapad pinged. _Feel like I may have walked in on a romantic getaway_ , Ysala’s report read. _Still, gave them an earful about leaving the Tower unauthorised. Bringing them back to base_.

/

At the end of the day, as the sun was setting in brilliant streaks of red and orange across the sky, Ikora made her way up to the Observatory. The main room was deserted when she entered, so she took the chance to stand and look out through the glass wall, enjoying the view of green plains and snow-capped mountains bathed in the golden light.

“The mystery Guardian pulled through, then,” Shun said from behind her.

Ikora didn’t turn. “I told you she would.”

“Maybe we should ask for her more often.”

That made Ikora smile a little. “You’d like to be so lucky.”

She felt rather than saw him come to stand beside her. “So, one of mine and one of yours. Rather unexpected.”

“I don’t make any claim on him; he’s definitely Cayde’s.” She shook her head. “And it does happen, believe it or not.”

“Humanity does love ill-starred romance.”

“I may be part of the Vanguard, Shun, but I’m not a pessimist,” Ikora said. She turned to look at him, both eyebrows raised.

He shrugged. “That’s my personal affliction.”

“You wear it well.”

“I suppose it suits me.”

She smiled a little. “Not all the time, Shun.”

Shun opened his mouth to say something, paused, then shut it again. A moment of silence held, fragile and gentle, between them.

An obnoxiously loud ping from the datapad broke it. “I wonder if that’s our star-crossed miscreants returned home,” Shun said.

 _Locked into a flight path to the hangar. Fugitives sad and miserable, but alive. Mission accomplished_.

“If that’s not an antidote to your pessimism, I don’t know what is,” she said, handing him the datapad.

When he’d read it, Shun shrugged. “Let’s go talk to our Romeo and Juliet.”

That, for once, made Ikora laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I'm at darthrevaan.tumblr.com for chats, questions and general stuff ;)


End file.
